Velvet Hammer - 2007 Shelby GT500 Full Test

We Could Have Said The Legend Returns, But That's Been Done To Death

Huw Evans

July 30, 2010

Photos By:
MM Staff,
Andre Baghdasserians

It would be fair to say that quite a few cars that come through our clutches are enjoyed for that period of time and then given a pat on the back and sent on their way. Not the Shelby. The more time we spent with it, the more we wanted to keep it. So to sum up, does it live up to the hype? No it doesn't - in reality it goes far beyond that - it truly is an exceptional car. Not in the spirit of the original G.T.350, that would be missing the point, but for its intended audience it packs a huge punch for not a big investment in funds and in that respect it remains utterly true to the pure Mustang bang for the buck concept. Ladies and gents we ask you to raise a glass to the Shelby GT500 and also to Ford Motor Company for a job well done. In this case, they deserve it.

Shelby GT500 - Past Dreams Achieved
You probably figured out that the passage above was about the 'Terminator' Cobra, but it could equally - if not much more suitably - be applied to the 2007 Shelby GT500 Mustang. The Cobra's replacement is a far more civilized car than the Terminator could ever have been. The GT500 is very much the 'Grand Touring' car, which will make it a crashing disappointment for some, yet a pleasant surprise for many others. To me, the 2003 SVT Cobra was a beast that was barely tamed. I've driven quite a few and they're not my first choice to spend eight or 10 hours of highway driving in.

This car is not an updated Terminator. It is a new and different car entirely. It is, perhaps, the fully realized dream that John Coletti had for the SVT Cobra - a dream that could never be achieved while working with a 23-year-old platform. There are many things to rave about in this car. The seats appear to be far more endurable than the GT's, particularly when driving hours at a time. The shifter for the Tremec T-6060 is wonderful, seeming to sense exactly which gear you're heading for and jumping into place. The cabin exhaust note is subdued, but still enough in evidence to know that this is no family hauler. That note strikes a balance that will let you drive for eight or 10 hours without getting tired of it. The styling is drop-dead gorgeous and anyone that looks at this car knows it is something special, although that makes some people (in small, imported cars) try stupid things. Our tester was apparently a very early build, so it is hard to know if the couple of nits we found are typical. For example, there was no remote trunk release inside the glove compartment. That's such an oversight that we have to believe it was unique to our unit. The lack of a dead pedal is something that seasoned Mustang drivers will wonder about, though as an issue, it's not unique to the GT500.